Top-down politics
The BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership has undergone a significant transformation, reminiscent of the era when Indira Gandhi wielded unparalleled influence within the Congress party.
As former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee turns 93 on 25 December, here are his top 10 quotes:
Secularism:
If India is not secular, then India is not India at all.
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We believe in equal respect for all faiths.
Poverty:
Poverty is multidimensional. It extends beyond money incomes to education, health care, political participation and advancement of one’s own culture and social organisation. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Pluralism:
Ours is a multi-religious country, a multi-lingual country; we have many different modes of worship. We believe in peaceful and harmonious co-existence.
Elections:
It requires an effort of logical acrobatics to believe that carnage of innocents is an instrument for freedom and elections are a symbol of deception and repression!
Nation-building:
Empowering the individual means empowering the nation. And empowerment is best served through rapid economic growth with rapid social change
Vision for India:
I dream of an India that is prosperous, strong and caring. An India, that regains a place of honour in the comity of great nations
Victory and defeat:
Victory and defeat are a part of life, which are to be viewed with equanimity.
Diplomacy:
Quiet diplomacy is far more effective than public posturing
Terrorism:
No guns but only brotherhood can resolve the problems.
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